Tire.



W. A. KNEMAN.

TIRE.

. APPLIUATION FILED 1118.28, 1910.

Patented Apr-.4, 1911.

' 2 sHBBTs-sHBBT 1.

Patented Apr.4, 1911.

W. A. KNEMAN.

TIRE.

APPLIGATION FILED 213.28, 1910.

WILLIAM A. xNnMAN, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TIRE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 4.-, 1911 Application IedFebIuary 28, i910. Serial No.546,266.

To all @hom 'it may concern:-

Be 1t known that I, WILLIAM A. KNE- MAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at 177 Eugenie street, Chicago, in the county of Cook and Stateof Illinois, have invented anew and Im rovement in Tires, of which lthefollowing 1s 'a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in the class of tires used onautomobiles and the like.

The primary object of my invent-ion is to provide a construction oftire, which shall be neither pneumatic nor solid, but which shall avoidthe objections to the solid tire and approximate, 'in use, the desirableproporties in pneumatic tires Without being susceptible, like thelatter,fto injury from puucture and blow-outs.

' My improvement consists, essentially, of a sheath or jacket of rubber,or like material, adapted to be secured on the rim of a f Wheel to formthe tread therefor, with a Figure 1 is a broken view in si spring corein the sheath, and means for adjusting the core to `cause it to take upand com ensate for stretching-of the material of t e sheath.

Referring to the accompanyinv drawings: de elevation showing my improvedtire on a \vheel-rim; Fig'. 2 is an enlarged section online 9., Fig. 1,showing the spring core in its normal con dition. Fig. 3 is a View 'likethat presented in Fig. 2, but showing the spring core in its compressedcondition of taking up the stretch of the sheath to maintain the latterunder proper tension, and Fig. et is a section on line 4Fig. 3.

The sheath 6 may be the ordinary rubber 'tire-cover comm'only used forautomobiles to confine the inner infizitable air-tube, which isdispensed with by my improvement; the latter, moreover, permitting the'cover or sheath to be made very much cheaper than that used forconfining -the inflatable'tube since it requires to be built lessstrongly, employing fewer layers of fabric, and the rubber used maybe-of comparatively lowgrade quality, and nevertheless produce, at'

low cost, a tire more durable and approximately as desirable in everyway as the ordinary pneumatic tire. The slieatht, with a corrugatedtread-portion 7 cemented in place,.is shown to be provided with theusual beaded edges 8, 8, at which to confine it in lthe undercut orgrooved' sides of the rim 9 which should, bv preference, be sectional,as

indicated, to render its outer annularl sect1on, shown, boited to thefelly 10, removable to facilitate'placing the tire on and taking it offthe rim.

In the sheath is a spring core 11, the pre ferred form of which is thatof a closely wound coil of spring-steel of rectan lar or flatcross-section, the ends of the coll, to render it annular, being'joined,as by brazlng. The core should be wrapped with fabric 12, inlongitudinal sectlons, each formed of layers which may be rubberfrictioned or otherwise united, to prevent abradmg or cutting th'e sheath 6by the movement of the spring against it.' when 'a Wheel equipped withmy improvement is running.'

About the rim are seated, in endless series, similar successivelycontacting blocks 13, which may best be formed, whether of wood ormetal, out of a circular ring of the proper cross-section by cutting itinto sections each, preferably, about four' inches long. These blocks,which have inwardly tapering sides to render them wedge-shaped, and haveconcave or depressed Vouter faces, are provided in their inner faceswith central depressions to receive, when the blocks are wooden,correspondingly-shaped metal cups 131 for protecting the wood againstwear from set screws la which work against them through the fellyin,internally-threaded metal bearings 15 let into the outer surfacethereof at suitable intervals. The blocks bear against the nuclei'surface 'of the core through the medium of concavo-convex plates 16,fastened tothe blocks and wider than the latter to increase the areaof'bcaring surface against the spring; and the plates should be longerthan the blocks to cause each alterrings 17, t7, on the rim, ofapproximate L-.

shape in cross-section with their opposing faces'iS correspondinglylnclming lnwardly trate plate to overlap the adjacent ends of towardeach other to conform to the sides of tween blocks and the cover-beads@to the the cover.

straight inner sides of which the opposingr sides of the rings conform.The cover 7 may be composed of solid rubbei` of inodnrate density, andit is preferably lined alongA art as permanent stretch, to compensatetherefor and maintain the proper tension of the tire, the core ispressed to expand it laterally by adjusting the screws 14 to force theblocks againstit, thereby unseating them into the position representedof the block shown in Fig. 3 .with vthe incidental result, owing to thewedging effect of the blocks against the rings, of crowding the latteragainst .the beads S and tightening them in the rim to resist thetendency of the spring, under the pressure ieferredto, to dislodge Thispressure strains the core into the elliptical shape represented in Fig.3, causing it to exert laterally in both directions a moderate tensilestrain against they lined sides of the cover fromA about the center ofthe spring to the beads 8. Thus the stretch in the rubber and anysagging of the spring-core 'maybe taken up by the blocks from time totime witlithe effect. of maintaining' the tire in perfect tension forits proper' working condition. and assuring its economic Wear. It shouldbe explained that the permanent stretch referred to is a condition towhich the rubber in all .rubber tires issu'bject by their use, and thesofter the quality of the rubber, the greater its tendency to work,stretch and creep under the load it carries. To reduce this tendency inrubber carriage-tires it is the practice to manufacture them of a rubbercompound possessing a degree of hardness and of density lwhich willadapt them to carry a load without compressing unduly, and intrucktiresthese qualities are materially increased in the rubber. It isbecause of the tendency to permanent stretch ofthe rubber in tires thatsolid automobile tires made of soft and highly resilient rubber areundesirable, and

'that indiiferentresults are attained from those iliade up of rubber andfabric and those `-of the hollow variety. As to the great di f- .ferencein wearing quality between a pneumatic and a solid tire, such differencemay as the ascertained fact, to be attributable to the stretchof boththe Vfabric and therubber, in the pneumatic valiety, being constantlycompensated for and vitsl injurious tendency counteracted by the ressurewithin the tire. A pneumatic s in an insuliciently inflated condition,is soon ruined. On the other hand, with a solid rubber tire that isunduly soft or yielding, the exterior rubber on the tread soon stretchesto an extent which causes it to separate and tear away fromthe interior;or the tire tends to buckle. Moreover, in a pneumatic tire dependencemust be had for the requisite tensile strength to `adaptit to withstandthe internal.air-pressure, on numerous plies of fabric (cotton cloth)extending' throughout the tire, since the pressure is uniform upon eachsquare inch of the surface; and forcementing the layers of fabric thepurest and finest grade of rubber is required for allowing the requisitepliability and strength in the structure, rendering the cest otmanufacture ery great. l

By my improvement herein-described a tire is provided which not. onlyenables the Jermanent. stretch of the rubber to be taken up butcausestlie pressure-stretch to be exerted only on the wearing tread, thebase of the co'rer being only or mainly subjected to a pulling stretch,and to very little, if any appreciable transverse pressure. '.lhus myimprovement enables the multi-ply-cover to be dispensed witliandsupplanted by mere reinforcing'strip: of fabric on thefpulling.-portions of the. rubber, or, at most,- by .comparatively fewlayers offabric on the in ner surface of the tire-jacket or cover, thereby.enabling a relatively inferior qualityA of rubber compound to be usedfor the cover similar to that ordinarily used for carriagetires, andreducing, accordingly, the eost'of manufacture.v

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentis:

l. In combination, a spring-core within the cover, L-shapedtire-clamping rings on the rim, adjustable members seated on and betweensaid rings, .and means for adjusting said members to cause the same toexert pressure against the core and the rings `to expand the samelaterally, for theI purpose set forth. A

2. In combination, a wheelfrim, arubber tire-cover secured to the rim, aspring-core within the cover. L-shaped tire-clamping rings on the rimhaving inelinedinner faces, blocks seated on and between the rings, andmeans for forcing said blocks iipwardlr against the core and laterallyagainst. the rings to cause lateral .expansion of the said parts, forthe purpose set forth.

In combination, a wheel-rim, a rubber tire-cover secured on the rim,L-sliaped tireelamping rings on the rim, Wedge-shaped blocks adjustablyseating in l rim on and between said rings, a spring-core within thecover about the blocks, and setscrews engaging the blocks, for thepurpose set forth. l

` a Wheel-rim, a rubber tirfcover secured to the rim,

series about 'the' llt 4. In combination, a wheel-rim on a felly, edgesat which it is engaged by the rim, L a rubber tire-cover secured on therim, L- shaped rings surrounding the rim and havshaped tirelamping ringson the rim, ing straight outer faces bearing against said wedge-shapedblocks adjustably seated in edges and inclined inner faces, wedge-shapeseries about the rim and between said rings, blocks adjustably seatingin series about the 30 and provided on their under surfaces with rimbetween said rings a spring core within wear plates adapted in theretracted position the cover about the blocks, and means for of saidblocks to ill the space between the 'forcing said blocks upwardlyagainst the lower edges of said rings, a spring-core core' and laterallya ainst the rings to cause 10 within the cover about the blocks,threaded lateral expansion o `the said parts, for the 35 screw-bearingsat intervals in the felly, and purpose set forth. set-screws working insaid bearings against 7. In combination, a wheel-rim on a felly, theblocks, for the purpose set forth. a rubber tire-cover secured on therim, 5. In combination, a wheel-rim on a felly, blocks adjustablyseating in series about the a rubber tire-cover secured on the rim,tirerim, and provided with plates on their outer 40 clamping rings onthe rim, wedge-shaped faces, said plates being wider and longer blocksadjustably seated in series about the than the faces of the blocks andoverlapping rim and between said rings and having coneach other endwise,a spring' core within the cave outer faces, concavo-convex platessecover about the blocks and seating on sai cured to the outer faces ofsaidblocks and plates, and set-screws working in the felly extendingbeyond .the sides thereof, and setagainst said blocks, for the purposeset forth.

screws working in the felly against said WILLIAM A, KNEMAN, blocks, forthe purpose set forth. In presence of 6. In combination, a wheel-felly,a rim A; U, THORIEN, thereon, a rubber tire-cover having beaded R, ASCHAEFER,

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

' 'Washington, D. CRT

